Belly Bacon cure and smoke and package (pic heavy)

This post includes part of a previous post from the start to the finish. Thanks for looking.

We purchased a pork belly a couple weeks ago. It weighed almost 10 pounds. Cost was almost $17.00









I cut it in half and started curing one with Hi Mountain Buck board Bacon Cure. I put it in a food saver bag and sealed it up making sure not to draw very much vacuum.

The other half got a tender quick cure in place of the pink salt and kosher salt from Michael Ruhlmans recipe for bacon.

Mix the following together in a small bowl:
(Keep in mind this is for 5 pounds of bacon)

2 ounces (1/4 cup Morton or Diamond Crystal coarse kosher) salt

2 teaspoons pink curing salt #1 (I use this DQ Cure from Butcher-Packer, $2)

Substitute the above with:

5 tablespoons of tender quick

plus

4 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper

4 bay leaves, crumbled (left out)

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (substitute with 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg)

1/4 cup brown sugar or honey or maple syrup (used the dark brown sugar)

5 cloves of garlic, smashed with the flat side of a chef’s knife (substitute with 2 1/2 minced garlic in a jar)

2 tablespoons juniper berries, lightly crushed (optional)(left out)

5 to 10 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)(substitute 1/4 tsp chopped thyme)

Here is the actual write up by Michael Ruhlman

http://ruhlman.com/2010/10/home-cured-bacon-2.html

Here is the other half with Michael Ruhlman recipe changed a little.



Here they are getting happy in food saver bags in my fridge in the garage.



After seven (7) days I took them out of the fridge and rinsed them off and put them into a pan to soak a few hours.

Here is the belly with the Hi Mountain cure

Note you should use a non reactive container to soak out the bacon.



Here is the belly with the Tender Quick cure with additional stuff added.





After a six (6) hour soak I removed them from the water and dried them off and set them back in the fridge. After about 16 hours equalizing I set the egg up with the AR for a direct 180F smoke with hickory wood.



I used the CyberQ II to control the egg at 180F dome and placed the food probe in the lower Tender Quick belly set for 150F IT. I double checked in several places when I pulled the Tender Quick belly off.



After the Tender Quick belly cooled off I sliced some strips off of it and fried them up in the skillet. Then we had a bacon sandwich for supper with home made potato salad and tomatoes. We just loved the tender Quick bacon. I'm sure when we get around to eating the Hi Mountian we will love it just as much.







After the other belly reached 150F about 4 hours I double checked with the thermapen and pulled it out of the egg to cool off.



After it cooled off I placed it in the freezer to ferm up. Then I went to my new butcher friend Roy and he sliced it for me. Then I took it home to quickly package up.

Here is the Hi Mountain bacon all sliced up.



Here is what is left of the Tender Quick bacon sliced up.



Here it is all packaged up in FoodSaver bags. I made 9 packs of 6 slices of the 5 pounds of Hi Mountain. and what was left of the Tender Quick bacon made 2 packs of 6 slices.